March 2005
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It's a well-known fact that I've bottomed to some of the best rope dommes on the East Coast and across the country. I've been strung up and floated from ceilings in clubs, trees, suspension rigs, doorframes, other people, go-go cages and more. I've been tied up on the cold ground and wrapped in a sweltering body bag.
What's not quite as well known is that I've been steadily expanding my abilities as a rope top over the last couple of years. I haven't shot any of it yet, not formally, that is, but that's coming in the future. It can be rather intimidating to realize that someone is trusting you to give them an memorable experience in rope.
On thing I've noticed about both being tied and tying is that my experience is infinitely more meaningful and enjoyable if I live in the moment. Living in the moment means this for me: I am connected to the here and now, whether that here and now is flying in headspace or standing in front of someone who is giving me the gift of bottoming to me. The moment exists between me and my top or me and my bottom. The rest of the room fades away and becomes nothing but a backdrop for our experience.
Recently I was at Yin's studio with Michele and I was trying to figure out how I was going to lay rope on Michele and what kind of scene we were going to have. I felt intimidated because Yin was right next to me, tying someone else. For a brief instant I thought to myself "I can't compete with that; I'll never be that good." I nearly told Michele that I didn't want to do the scene. But then I looked at her anticipatory smile and realized that I wasn't living in the moment. The moment, the scene, wasn't about me and Yin, it was about me and Michele and I didn't have to compete with Yin's rope work, I simply had to be good enough to guide Michele. I ran the rope through my hands then ran it along Michele's back and the moment crystallized for me and I became more connected to Michele. I also found my direction for the scene and let it carry the both of us. We were in our own bubble of rope time and it was sufficient in and of itself, without comparisons or recriminations. It was exactly the same as when I've bottomed to Yin or Skye or Alana. Living in the moment with them allows me to travel farther in rope with them.
Living in the moment. I should remember to apply that creedo to the rest of my life.
Namaste,
